David Warner shows all the characteristics of a bully, says former Protea and commentator Paul Harris.

‘Warner is the type of guy where if things are going well for Australia, he’s got a big mouth, but when they’re losing, he doesn’t say too much,’ Harris said. ‘When he says something and someone comes back at him, then he gets upset. That’s pretty much all the characteristics of a bully.’

Harris weighed in on an increasingly acrimonious confrontation between Warner and Quinton de Kock in the players’ tunnel as they left the field during the first Test, in which it is alleged that De Kock made derogatory remarks about Warner’s wife.

Footage emerged on Monday of an enraged Warner being restrained by teammates at tea.

‘There’s always a common denominator in these sort of things and it seems to be Warner,’ added Harris, who suggested De Kock was at the receiving end of personal abuse from the Australian.  ‘Speaking to a few of the players, they really don’t give a s**t about what he says. They’re just like, ”well, he’s quite personal so we’re going to come back at him and see how he takes it”.

‘I know Quinton de Kock quite well and he won’t take things lying down. If someone’s having a crack at him, he’ll have a go back.’

Former Proteas captain Graeme Smith said: ‘It was quite evident from the stump mics there was quite a lot of personal stuff going on.

‘I wasn’t surprised there was a reaction at some point,’ he told Cricket.com.au.

‘I haven’t got any information – I just know what I heard on the mics yesterday, and some of it was a bit close to the boundaries of what I think should be said.’